Thimm: sustainable packaging

Everything is packaged - fast-moving consumer goods as well as industrial goods - from very small to very large. The corresponding transport packaging has to fulfil very different tasks. The innovative and resource-efficient solutions from the Thimm Group, Northeim, support sustainable and responsible behaviour and guarantee maximum safety.

The market for packaging, with its constantly changing and increasingly complex requirements, is both exciting and demanding. In hardly any other sector are the contrasts as extreme as in the packaging industry. Automation on the one hand and a large proportion of Manual labour On the other hand, the most diverse market and customer needs are served and countless packaging variations are created to support the global flow of goods at different points.

„Innovative and resource-efficient solutions that Sustainable and responsible behaviour support and guarantee maximum safety are very much in vogue,“ emphasises Anke Peinemann, Head of Corporate Communications, Thimm Group Northeim.

Lighter, smaller and more environmentally friendly

A current example from the industrial goods sector is the transport packaging for sensitive ultrasound systems, which are used in clinics and doctors' surgeries. The manufacturer of the devices, an international medical technology producer, commissioned Thimm Packaging Systems to redesign its existing transport packaging.

Previously, the 160-kilogram appliances were shipped in large wooden crates, which were fitted with 14 cushions to protect the goods. Polyethylene (PE) contained. After analysing the transport requirements in detail, the packaging experts developed a completely new approach: the volume of the transport packaging was adapted to the appliance dimensions and reduced accordingly. At the same time, the wooden packaging was replaced by Environmentally friendly corrugated board replaced.

A significantly smaller number of PE pads serve as spacers between the appliance and the new corrugated cardboard packaging. Corrugated cardboard cut-outs create additional space for various special cases on the inside. One with Foaming cushioned pallet also absorbs shocks during transport. Mobile ramps integrated into the packaging, which can be easily connected to the pallet using a plug-in connection, serve as a drive-on aid and enable the technical systems to be packed and unpacked by a single employee.

The change of material from wood to the recycled product corrugated cardboard and the reduced size save around 20 kilograms per packaging unit. The reduction in volume and weight also has a positive effect on transport costs, especially the high air freight costs. But even when unfilled, the packaging concept takes up less loading space in the lorry than the previous wooden crate, as the shipping units are delivered flat to the medical technology manufacturer.

All in all, a much more efficient and sustainable packaging solution with a view to both protecting the product and using more environmentally friendly materials, saving costs and resources in the supply chain and thus reducing CO₂-balance sheet.

In order to interpret trends correctly and translate them into customer-oriented solutions, comprehensive knowledge of the specifics of the respective industry, the processes and the materials used is required in order to develop efficient and resource-saving packaging concepts that support sustainable and responsible behaviour, guarantee maximum safety and thus intelligently support the flow of goods.

Conserving resources and promoting sales

With a view to the sustainability approach Retail-ready shelf packaging similar requirements. However, in addition to the needs of the packaging industry, they must also take into account the needs of retailers and end consumers.

As part of holistic brand strategies, the clear communication of the brand and product message takes centre stage alongside the resource-saving use of materials. Packaging is often the decisive link between the product and the consumer.

The packaging solutions therefore combine both functional and sales-promoting functions in one solution and thus not only support an optimised process, but also help to market the products very efficiently, i.e. they are transport and sales packaging in one.

Tension on the shelf

The latest innovation from Thimm packaging In this context, the Thimm xPOSe® | pull system, which is part of the packaging specialist's already well-known product family of pushfeed systems, is a key component.

This fabric pull system is an optimisation of the known feed systems. It consists of a Wrap-around cutting with integrated slide-in unit, to which an elasticated strap is attached. The strap is tensioned using the products. This creates a tensile force of up to five kilograms. The combination of wrap-around and insertion creates a double wave effect at the edges and therefore a high level of stability.

Compared to similar systems, the use of materials can be reduced by ten and 20 per cent per sales unit, for example by using lower grammages. At the same time, the packaging offers up to 15 per cent more space for the products thanks to the space-saving belt. An effect that offers clear efficiency benefits in the supply chain: Volume utilisation both on the pallet and in the truck and warehouse is significantly optimised. This conserves resources, reduces CO2 in the logistics process and saves costs.

At the same time, product availability in retail increases. This is because the system can be flexibly adapted to different product and process requirements and is suitable for shelf depths of up to 45 centimetres. The innovation protects the products during transport and also fulfils all the requirements for modern shelf packaging (shelf-ready packaging): The packaging is quickly recognisable in the warehouse, is easy to open and reduces shelf maintenance to a minimum. The eye-catching presentation also enhances the consumer's shopping experience, accelerates sales and increases shelf productivity.

Numerous other advantages speak in favour of the new development: the one-piece shelf packaging can be filled manually and automatically and can be easily integrated into existing machine concepts. In addition, the paper-based packaging system with a foreign matter content of less than five per cent enables the product to be recycled after use. environmentally friendly recycling.